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The most recent version of the premium Fenix outdoor watch brings a life-saving capability: no-phone messaging and SOS alerts via 4G LTE or satellite connections.

The Fenix 8 Pro upgrades the already outstanding Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular tech, along with an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and engineered to be the single tool required to explore virtually anywhere and track all your movements.

That positions it as an extremely pricey proposition, priced from £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a substantial £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost double the cost of the regular Fenix 8.

Users get a significant functionality for your investment, with best-in-class workout, activity and adventure tracking. Its full offline mapping of the globe can automatically direct you return to the trail if you get lost without a phone, and look great on the large, sharp and super-bright touchscreen.

This Fenix 8 Pro is exclusively available in 47mm or 51mm case sizes, omitting the smaller 43mm version found in other devices, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as tested boasts an extra day of watch battery life despite the screen on all the time, enduring a solid eight to nine days between charging.

No-Phone Messaging, Calls and Real-Time Location

Garmin uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and satellite service plan instead of relying on a watch plan linked to your phone carrier, like other smartwatches. But unlike Apple or Google's satellite-enabled products, SOS messaging is not provided for free.

Rather, plans begin from £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messaging, call functionality and LiveTrack position sharing – so your friends or loved ones can monitor you while out running, biking or similar pursuits – plus emergency satellite SOS alerts.

Check-ins and texts over satellite are then charged on top, with more expensive subscriptions including different quotas of satellite usage, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch includes a 30-day trial period so you can evaluate the functionality.

Once you have got it set up, you just head out the door minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You can not use it for streaming music or comparable activities, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and generally stay connected with your relatives and companions.

Whenever you message someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can respond to back to your watch. If they install the Garmin Messenger application, you can then message reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact is not required to have a Garmin profile to use the Messenger application, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.

Texting on the watch works adequately but typing out texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It has a collection of personalizable canned replies you can use to speed things up. Spoken recordings and calls perform OK, though as with the majority of wearables, you’re unlikely going to wish to use it for extended conversations as the audio clarity is not ideal.

LiveTrack is the handiest feature. You can set it up to automatically send a link to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can track your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring competition progress, but it primarily acts as a utility for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case something happens. It has typically functioned effectively, although the actual location has sometimes lagged when transitioning in and out of good LTE signal.

These capabilities are available on other Garmin watches if you bring your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, position check-ins and emergency SOS.

A on-screen assistance shows you how to locate the clear view to the satellite, which then transmits and gets communications within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital lifeline, though it is important to note that orbital service is restricted to the US mainland, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding parts of Scandinavia above 65 degrees latitude.

Environmental Impact

The watch is generally repairable with options offered through the customer service portal. The battery is rated to retain at least 90% of its initial capacity after two years of regular charging. The watch lacks any recycled materials. Garmin offers recycling programs on new purchases.

Cost

The Fenix 8 Pro costs from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The optional Garmin inReach service packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).

Conclusion

This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the standard Fenix 8 and incorporates LTE for texting, call functionality and LiveTrack – along with orbital messaging, location update and SOS SOS for when you’re out of signal.

The result is an increasingly impressive outdoor tool for those that want to be unplugged. If you wish to have someone monitor you from afar while exercising out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.

It is quite liberating to be outside without a phone, but that capability comes at quite a price, both in terms of the substantial price of the watch and the recurring fee of the inReach service to enable the features. Fortunately it is not reliant on your phone carrier so functions with all brand of smartphone and carrier.

This Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who dislikes being weighed down by their phone when running, biking or hiking, but still desires to be locatable and reachable. For other users, it is a significant expense when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.

Advantages: LTE and orbital messaging, super-bright OLED screen, monitors all activities with premier GPS, built-in flashlight, phone and standalone commands, 8+ day battery life, Garmin Pay, full offline mapping and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre diving, buttons and touchscreen.

Drawbacks: extremely costly, LTE and satellite functions need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice features are slow, limited wearable features compared with competing watches.